Mulch

[faerie9]

Hiya :)

I'm planning to get my beds ready and then cover with newspaper and then a suitable mulch.
I don't have enough old grass clippings to cover all of it so I was wondering if anyone had any other ideas.

I have a lot of rotted conifer hedge clippings but cam concerned that they are too acidic?

I have also heard that straw is quite good - where is the best (cheapest!) place to get it.

Thanks all :)

[faerie9]

[wardy]

Hi faerie9

I'm going to try using manure as a mulch on one bed I'm getting ready.  I've put cardboard down then I'm going to put a thickish layer of manure over that, put my spuds in and then cover the whole thing with some black sheeting with holes cut in to let the taters grow through.  I suppose you could just use  the black sheet as a mulch.  I'm going to ask a local stables if they'll sell me a bale or two of straw. 

[Jesse]

I get my straw bales from a pet and equestrian supply store, it costs £2 per bale and there's a lot of straw in one bale. Wet the straw down if you use as a mulch otherwise it's light and easily blown away.

[derbex]

We get fresh manure delivered at our site and last year I used that over cardboard, it's pretty much all gone in now. The problem I had with spuds was 2-fold, firstly you had to keep topping up the manure and secondly the mice set up home in the mulch and treated the spuds as a handy larder.

Jeremy

[wardy]

I suppose topping up mulch round yer spuds is only the same as earthing them up.  Sorry to hear about the mice though.  I thought the only problem I would face would be the slugs and now I've got sommat else to worry about!

I sometimes wonder why we bother

Ah well :)

Wardy

[gavin]

Eeeh, Wardy - wait till you get hungry foxes digging up your tatties!  Yes, they do :(

All best - Gavin